 | The Community Family Life Services team is delighted to present the August 2020 edition of Community Conversations. Because of you, CFLS provides women and their families with the tools to regain security & stability, self-sufficiency, and self-actualization. Our e-newsletter features CFLS client success stories, staff spotlights, event information, and new engagement opportunities. We hope you and yours are staying safe and healthy. - Ashley McSwain, Executive Director | | | |  | The unprecedented COVID-19 pandemic has nudged us to generate innovative ways to continue serving our clients, their families, and the community at large. We are proud of the multitude of comprehensive programming that we have provided virtually and in person while practicing social distancing. We are in the process of securing laptops, tablets, hot spots, and other technology to equip our clients with the necessary tools to participate in ongoing virtual programming. With this investment, we will be able to expand our service offerings virtually on a more permanent basis. The ultimate goal is to serve our clients just as we would in person. To learn how you can support our work, please visit cflsdc.org/donate. | | | | Candid Parenting Conversations in the Age of COVID-19 and George Floyd These conversations were designed with parent-based strategies to assist parents with easy tips to discuss difficult topics and issues affecting the lives of young Black children. To learn more, please contact Bridget Robinson at brobinson@cflsdc.org or 202-347-0511. You can watch the recordings at the links below. Candid Conversations - Part 1 August 24, 2020 Candid Conversations - Part 2 August 27, 2020 | | | | | | | | | |  | CFLS is pleased to announce that we recently launched our Women’s Wellness Retreat. The Retreat is a critical component of our Early Intervention Services, where we target justice involved women through a continuum of women's reentry programming. A period of incarceration has a tremendous impact on one’s ability to effectively manage their health, so we offer education, testing, and linking to wellness and health care. Our goal is to reach as many as possible, teach all who will listen, test everyone in need, link to services that will guide, and keep clients connected to care. We are committed to client engagement to ensure adherence to treatment. CFLS believes in the power of a shared vision, building a sense of commitment in a group setting by developing images of the future we seek to create, and the principles and guiding practices by which we hope to get there. We are looking forward to a series of comprehensive sessions that will leave participants equipped to fully implement the knowledge gained. | | | | | | | | National Institute of Corrections Interview CFLS Executive Director Ashley McSwain was recently interviewed by the National Institute of Corrections to discuss effective case management and supervision of justice involved women. NIC is part of the United States Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Prisons and provides support programs to assist federal, state, and local corrections agencies. | | | | | | | | | | | | One in Four Podcast citizen reporter and CFLS Speakers Bureau member Aaliyah Polite continues her series of conversations around technology and reentry. In this episode, she interviews Carrie Murchison, Returned Citizen Advocate for the Last Mile, a San Francisco-based technology accelerator that is operational inside 17 prisons across the U.S. and supports reentry by investing in tech skills and facilitating access to in-demand jobs. Members of our Speakers Bureau are supporting One in Four Podcast's mission of humanizing, educating, and elevating conversations about the reentry process of individuals coming out of the U.S. prison system. If you would like to donate to our work, you can submit a tax deductible donation. Your contribution will go toward fair compensation, production costs such as sound editing and subscription services, and post-production. Together, we can do more to support justice-involved women in the District of Columbia. | | | | | | | | Download the
Passport to Success App A first of its kind, the Passport to Success App provides the ability for clients to securely store all personal information in one place. Clients who have chronic health challenges, experienced domestic violence, who are homeless, or who have been to jail or prison often do not have the current information that is required to facilitate their forward movement. By giving clients a tool that puts them in charge of their own data, they feel empowered, liberated, and have more control over their own life and their own choices. The Passport to Success App is designed for use by both clients and case managers. The app allows case managers to work in partnership with the clients as they fill out the passport and collect relevant information. The App is available on Google Play, App Store, and the web. For more information, please visit cflsdc.org/the-passport-to-success-tool. | | | | | | | |  | CFLS partnered with The W.I.R.E. to hold a Special Edition of the Speakers Bureau. The W.I.R.E.'s mission is to raise awareness about the need for gender-responsive programs, services and policies to enable formerly incarcerated women to successfully reintegrate into society. Participants received training in the following areas: Active Listening – Setting the Stage for Understanding and Listening, Understanding Power, Privilege & Leadership, Use of Self - Building a Safe Learning Environment, The Basics of Public Speaking, The Ladder of Inference & Trauma Informed Care, Building Public Speaking Skills, and Research, Writing, and Speaking to the Council of the District of Columbia. The program concluded with a Closing Ceremony on August 27, 2020. To learn more, please visit cflsdc.org/speakersbureau. | | | |  | Backpack Drive Every year CFLS provides backpacks and school supplies to the families that we work with and we are proud of its success this year. It was delightful to see the smiles on their faces as each child received a bountiful school supply bag. We are grateful for the generous contributions from our supporters! | | | | |  | HIV Testing Appointments are available Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10am-4pm. Please call Shelby Wallington at 202-864-6297 to schedule your appointment. We will follow CDC regulations including social distancing. Please wear your mask. If you feel sick, please reschedule your appointment. | | | | | | | | Join Us We are honored that you believe in our mission of supporting women who are returning home following a period of incarceration. If you would like to make a contribution to our work, please submit your tax deductible donation via www.cflsdc.org/donate. And, please don't forget to follow us on social media at @cflsdc. Together, we can do more to support justice-involved women in the District of Columbia. | | | | | | Thank you for your continued support, it makes a tremendous difference in the lives of women, children, and families. Thank you for being a part of the CFLS family and for taking the time to read our e-newsletter. Stay tuned for our next issue. | | | |  | | | | | Community Family Life Services
305 E Street NW | Washington, District of Columbia 20001
202-347-0511 | development@cflsdc.org | | | | | | | | | |
